Door latch actuator



Aug. 17, 1965 E. G. TRUDEAU DOOR LATCH ACTUATOR Filed Sept. 14, 1962 El n T ORNEY United States PatentO 3,201,165 DOOR LATCH ACTUATOR Edgar Trudeau, Taylor, Mich, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 14, 1962, Ser. No. 223,686 4 Claims. (Cl. 292-336.3)

door latch mechanism. This arrangement hasthe disadvantage of requiring extreme d-oor thicknesses to accommodate the latch mechanism, the push rod and the travel of the rod needed to operate the latch mechanism.

This invention overcomes this disadvantage of present actuators by providing a push button door latch actuator which includes. latch actuating means formed on one side of thepush button .to thus eliminate the push rod and permit a much thinner door to be used to house the latch mechanism end push button actuator.

One feature of this invention is that it provides an improved door latch actuator.

Anotherfeature of the invention is that it provides a door latch actuator having a push button member provided with laterally extending latch actuating means formed on one side thereof.

A further feature of this invention is that it provides a door latch actuator including a push button slidably received in a handle mounting member and having radially extending latch actuating means formed on one side thereof, and push button guiding means having portions thereof diverging with respect to the direction of push button actuation movement to allow the pushbutton to cant or tilt as the actuating means engages an operating member of the door latch.

Yet another feature of this invention is that it provides an improved door latch actuator having actuating means formed on the push button thereof and located remote from the axis of the push button and immediately adjacent a door panel for engagement with an operating member of a door latch.

Yet a further feature of this. invention is that it provides a door latch actuator including a push button slidably received in a handle mounting member and having actuating means engageable with an operating member of a door latch, and also including guided and guiding means to both guide the push button and allow the push button to cant or tilt as the actuating means actuates the operating member of the door latch.

These and other features will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is partial side elevational view of a vehicle body embodying a latch actuator according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 2-2 of FIG- URE l;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawing, a vehicle body designated generally as 10 includes a front .door 12 hingedly mounted at its forward edge in a conventional manner on the body for movement between a closed position as shown and an open position (not shown). Mounted within the door 12 adjacent the rearward edge 14 thereof is a conventional latch mecha- 3,291,165 Fatented Aug. 17,1965

ice

nism 16 for latching door 12 to the body and operated from the exterior of the body by a push button actuator 13 according to this invention. Actuator 18 includes an'elongated handle member 20 mounted on the outer panel 22 of door 12 and including a recessed inwardly extending hollow escutcheon or push button housing 24 received within an aperture 26 of panel 22. Escutcheon 24 is provided witha bore 28, FIGURES 2 and 4, opening to the interiorthereof and slidably receiving an elongated hollow push button 30 having a flanged inner end portion 32. I

A rod or guided means 34 has the outer end thereof secured to the push button and the inner end thereof slidably received within the bore 44 of guide member 42. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, bore 44 includes an outer cylindrical portion 46 .merging into an inner longer tapered or frusto-conical portion 48. As shown in FIG URES 2 and 3, the inner end of member 42 is provided with a generally rectangularly shaped flange 50 having opposite arcuate edge portions thereof received behind undercut flanges 52 formed at the inner end of escutcheon 24, with flange 50 being releasably held against rotational movement relative to flanges 52 by protecting bosses 54 received within notches 56 of flanges 52. A coil compression spring 57 seats on flange Siland on push button 39 to bias flange 50 into engagement with flanges 52 and bias the push button 30 to an inoperative position as shown, wherein the flanged portion 32 thereof rests against a sealing and cushioning rubber washer 58. As seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, a generally rectangularly shaped latch actuating ear or lug .59 projects radially from flanged portion'32 of the push button toward the jamb face of door 12 and engages the outside operating lever or member (66 of latch mechanism 16..

When it is desired to operate latch mechanism 16, push button Pet is manually depressed and moved inwardly against the force of spring 57 to move rod 34 inwardly of the bore 44 of guide member 42 as lug 59 operates member 66. During this movement, the normal mechanical and frictcional resistance of the latch mechanism 16 produces a moment or side loading effect on the push button which tends to cant or tilt the push button and rod 34 out of their normal coaxial relationship with the axis of bore 44 of guide member 42. Although the rod 34 is canted or tilted out of its normal coaxial relationship with the axis of bore 44, the tapered inner portion 43 of the bore permits this misalignment without binding between the rod 34 and the bore 44. While some binding may occur between the outer portion 46 of the bore and the rod 34, this binding is minor and does not hinder inward movement of the rod 34 and push button 3! to actuate the operating lever 60 of the door latch 16. When the push button is released, the spring 57 will return the push button to its normal inoperative position, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4.

Thus a new and improved door latch actuator is provided.

I claim:

1. In adoor having a door latch associated therewith, a door latch actuator comprising, an operating member slidably and rockably mounted on said door for axial movement between inoperative and latch actuating positions, said member including latch actuating means formed radially outwardly from one side thereof for operating said door latch upon movement of said member from said inoperative position to. said actuating position,

and cooperative guiding means on said door and said member having generally axially extending and mutually divergent guide portions permitting said member to cant during said movement thereof.

2. In a door having a door latch associated therewith,

3 mounted on said door, means on said mounting member defining an axis, an operating member slidably mounted on said mounting member for movement along said axis between inoperative and latch actuating positions, said operating member including latch actuating means formed radially outwardly from one side thereof for'operating said door latch during movement of said operating member from the inoperative position thereof to the latch actuating position thereof, said operating member canting from said axis upon operation of said door latch by said latch actuating means, guided means on one of said members coaxial with said axis, and guiding means on the other of said members diverging from said axis, said guided means and said guiding means being movable relative to each other to permit said operating member to cant relative to said axis.

3. In a door having a door latch associated therewith,

j a door latch actuator comprising, a mounting member V mounted on said door, means on said mounting member defining an axis, an operating member slidably mounted on'said mounting member for movement along said axis door latch by said latch actuating means canting said operating member relative to said axis, guided means mounted on said operating member and coaxial with said aXis,/and guiding means mounted on said mounting member and having a first wall portion concentric to said guided means and a second wall portion diverging from said axis, said guided means cooperating with said first wall portion to locate said operating member along said axis when in the inoperative position thereof and cooperating with said second wall portion upon movement of said operating member from the inoperative position thereof to the latch actuating position thereof to permit said operating member to cant relative to said axis.

4. In a door having a door latch associated therewith, a door latch actuator comprising, a handle member mounted on said door, means on said handle member defining an axis, a push button member slidably mounted on said handle member for movement along said axis between inoperative and latch actuating positions and including'a latch actuating portion extending radially outwardly from one side thereof for operating said door latch during movement of said push button member from the inoperative position thereof to the latch actuating position thereof, operation of said door latch canting said push button member relative to said axis, elongated guiding means mounted on said handle member and including an annular bore merging into a frusto-conical bore, guided means mounted on said push button member and received within said annular bore when said push button member is in the inoperative position thereof to locate said push button member along said axis, said guided means extending into said frusto-conical bore upon movement of said push button member from the inoperative position thereof to the latch actuating position thereof and permitting said push button member to cant relative to said axis, and means biasing said push button member toward inoperative position thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 754,721 3/04 Tower 292-127 1,800,707 4/3 1 Wartian 292166 2,999,712 9/61 Jakeway 2 92'336.3 

1. IN A DOOR HAVING A DOOR LATCH ASSOCIATED THEREWITH, A DOOR LATCH ACTUATOR COMPRISING, AN OPERATING MEMBER SLIDABLY AND ROCKABLY MOUNTED ON SAID DOOR FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN INOPERATIVE AND LATCH ACTUATING POSITIONS, SAID MEMBER INCLUDING LATCH ACTUATING MEANS FORMED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM ONE SIDE THEREOF FOR OPERATING SAID DOOR LATCH UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBER FROM SAID INOPERATIVE POSITION TO SAID ACTUATING POSITION, AND COOPERATIVE GUIDING MEANS ON SAID DOOR AND SAID MEMBER HAVING GENERALLY AXIALLY EXTENDING AND MUTUALLY DIVERGENT GUIDE PORTIONS PERMITTING SAID MEMBER TO CANT DURING SAID MOVEMENT THEREOF. 